Povilaitis, Alexander George Jr
Male
Verified Staff Sgt. Alexander George Povilaitis Jr., 47, of Dawsonville, Georgia, was a U.S. Army engineer killed in a hostile incident in Zharay, Afghanistan, on May 31, 2012.
Their Story
Alexander George Povilaitis Jr. was a 47-year-old staff sergeant from Dawsonville, Georgia. He served with the 570th Engineer Company (Sapper), 14th Engineer Battalion, 555th Engineer Brigade, based at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington. The unit's sappers are trained in combat engineering, including demolition and breaching obstacles in combat zones.
According to U.S. Department of Defense casualty reports, Povilaitis died on May 31, 2012, in Zharay district, Kandahar province, Afghanistan. The official cause was listed as hostile. Specific details of the incident were not publicly released by the military, but Zharay was a known insurgent stronghold and a frequent site of intense combat operations during that period.
Povilaitis was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom, the U.S.-led military campaign in Afghanistan that began in October 2001. In 2012, the war was in its eleventh year, with U.S. and coalition forces engaged in a counterinsurgency campaign focused on southern provinces like Kandahar. Combat engineer units played a critical role in route clearance and defeating improvised explosive devices, a leading cause of casualties.
He was one of at least 31 U.S. service members killed in Afghanistan during May 2012. His death was reported by major news outlets, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, which noted his Georgia hometown. The Army confirmed his death in a press release from Joint Base Lewis-McChord.
Staff Sgt. Povilaitis is memorialized on the Pentagon's casualty list and on online veterans' memorials. His name is inscribed on the Afghanistan War Memorial at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, which honors the fallen from that installation.
Explore Further
Staff Sgt. Povilaitis was killed during Operation Enduring Freedom (2001–2014). The conflict concluded in December 2014. See the full roster of those killed in this conflict.
Among those documented in the same conflict: Andrews, Evander Earl, Edmunds, Jonn Joseph, Stonesifer, Kristofor Tif, Davis, Bryant Leroy.
